Description
Delicious strawberry hibiscus popsicles, a refreshing treat perfect for summer.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/4 cup (6 g) dried hibiscus flowers, bright deep red, petals only
- 2 cups (480 ml) water, filtered if possible
- 1 1/2 cups (225 g) fresh strawberries, ripe and washed
- 1 tablespoon (21 g) honey or preferred sweetener (use agave syrup as vegan alternative)
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice
- Saucepan or pot for boiling water
- Fine mesh strainer
- Popsicle molds with sticks
- Mixing bowl
- Knife and cutting board
Instructions
- Step 1: Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Once boiling, remove from heat and add 1/4 cup dried hibiscus flowers. Let steep for about 10 minutes to fully extract tart flavor. Strain out flowers with a fine mesh strainer and allow the tea to cool completely.
- Step 2: Stir 1 tablespoon honey (or agave syrup) into cooled hibiscus tea. Taste the mixture and add more sweetener in 1/2 tablespoon increments if necessary to reach preferred sweetness level. Add 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice to balance flavors. Mix well.
- Step 3: Slice strawberries into uniform, medium-thick pieces for even freezing and attractive layering. If strawberries are too firm, let them sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before slicing.
- Step 4: Alternate layers of sliced strawberries and hibiscus tea mixture in popsicle molds. For layered pops, pour a layer of hibiscus tea, freeze for 30 minutes, then add strawberries, topping with more tea mixture. Insert sticks before final freeze.
- Step 5: Place the filled molds in the freezer for at least 3 hours to solidify. Depending on freezer strength, freezing longer may be necessary. If popsicles become very hard, let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before removing from molds.
Notes
- Room Temperature: Do not store at room temperature to avoid melting and loss of shape.
- Refrigeration: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day; consumes quickly as pops will soften.
- Freezing: Wrap popsicles tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil inside a freezer-safe container. Store up to 3 months. Thaw a few minutes at room temperature before serving.
- Use bright, deep red dried hibiscus petals without stems or debris for optimal tartness and color.
- Choose ripe strawberries that smell sweet with slight give for best flavor and texture.
- Adjust sweetness carefully by tasting the cooled hibiscus tea and adding sweetener in small increments.
- To achieve layered popsicles, partially freeze hibiscus tea before adding fruit layers.
- If popsicles are too hard when frozen, let stand briefly at room temperature to ease removal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 paleta
- Calories: 80
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 5mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 21g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 0mg